The Fated Surprise
by L. Borealis
Summary: Lily's trip to the healer gave her a nauseating surprise, the girl was pregnant. How could Miss Responsible Lily Evans be pregnant? And what was her boyfriend James going to say? Oneshot. JPLE


She had no idea how it happened. She had been so terribly careful. Every time, almost always before the heat of the moment, she would excuse herself to carefully cast the charm. She was Lily Evans, afterall. Responsible was her middle name.

--

"Keep your pants on! I'll be there in a minute!" She grimaced as she fumbled with her wand in the back pocket of her jeans.

"I have never wanted to keep my pants on less!" a voice whined in the next room. She rolled her eyes as she pointed her wand at her already bare abdomen. James had succeeded in at least removing her shirt. She murmured the charm and instantly felt the warming sensation deep inside of her gut. Smiling in satisfaction she nudged the door open, shot a prize winning smirk at her messy haired boyfriend and whipped her wand silently him.

"Ahh!" a gasping scream tore through the room as she leaned in the doorway, "Lily Evans! Did you...did you just _**magic** my pants off?_"

--

She'd been careful! Lily breathed in and out deeply, trying in vain to quell the panic that was rising inside of her as she stood in the floo line at St. Mungo's. "Should a pregnant woman even use the floo?" she thought nervously as the line shortened. Pregnant. The word made her shudder. It wasn't that she never wanted to be pregnant, she just didn't want to be pregnant at age nineteen! She was so young! She was only two years out of Hogwarts. Her entire life was filled with work for the Order, work she was going to have to give up once the news of her...er...predicament got out. Plus, after the work with the Order was over and Lord Voldemort was obviously defeatead, she had so many things she still wanted to do before she even _thought _about having children. It wasn't part of the plan! It was impossible.

--

"Well...I've just been feeling really under the weather for the last week or so. I think I have some sort of muggle flu. That's the only time I've felt at all like this," she told the healer as he ran his wand around her armpit.

"Hmm...those pesky muggle illnesses are quite annoying, really. Don't take kindly to magic. I'm sure we can find something though, if that is what it is. This has been going on for a week, you say?"

"About. I just get really queasy and dizzy, puke a lot, and then after a little bit I feel better for most of the day. It's really odd. I don't have any fever or anything," she shrugged, looking perplexed.

The healer invited her to lay down on the exam table and he gently rolled up her shirt, prodding his wand toward pressure points and lymphnodes. Suddenly, without warning, a rush of nausea hit Lily like a steam train. She shot up off of the exam table. Throwing herself across the room, she spewed directly into the waste basket by the door.

"Eww, girl!" screeched the angry waste basket, "Why'd you have to do that in here?!"

The healer helped Lily to her feet, and while conjuring a glass of water, sat the girl back down on the examination table. "Miss Evans, do you have a boyfriend?" he said while handing the water to her,

"Mmmhmmm," she said, taking a drink immediately, desperate to remove the rancid taste of vomit from her mouth.

"Are you sexually active?"

The water shot from her mouth and she coughed, not having expected that at all. After regaining her composure, she felt her face smart slightly. The thought of talking about her sex life with the decrepitly old healer was not on her list of exciting new experiences. She swallowed what was left of the water, "Um...I guess so?"

"You guess so? Hmm..." the healer said as he added pressure to her shoulder, coaxing her back down onto the table, "Just let me check something," he said, running his wand across her abdomen. Suddenly her insides felt creepishly cold, she shivered as she saw his wand shoot out green sparks, "Well, erm, Miss Evans, I think I've found the reason to your illness."

"Yeah?" she asked expectantly.

"You seem to be pregnant Miss Evans," the healer said as he straightened up. Lily rose slowly on the exam table.

"Excuse me?" she asked slowly, eyeing the man menacingly.

"You...er...you're pregnant. As in, with child," he stammered, apparently a bit nervous by the young woman's reaction.

"James put you up to this, didn't he?" she accused, her finger directly in his face.

"James? I don't--"

"Or was it Sirius! Yes! That bloody bastard! When I get ahold of him I'll...thinking this is funny..." she stammered angrily as she began to get off of the table.

"Miss Evans!" the healer said soothingly, though his voice wavered a bit, "You need to listen to me, this is very important, you know--"

"They probably both did it! Those gits! I--I want a second opinion!"

However, the second opinion, and the third, they each turned out the same way. She was with child. Responsible, dependable, never makes an ill move Lily Evans was going to have a baby. She was going to be a mother. She gasped, James was going to be a father. If it was indeed possible, she felt her heart sink further. He didn't want this! All the talk they had had about bringing little James/Lily's into the world had been for fun, he had surely never meant any of it! She began to tremble. What if he left her? What if he panicked and ran? Or threw her out? She bit her lip. James had planned a lovely dinner for them for that evening. It was their first full night alone for weeks. Both had been so busy with work from the Order. The coming evening was supposed to be a relaxing, wonderful James and Lily night. But she'd have to tell him, whether or not it wrecked the perfect evening. Whether or not it wrecked the perfect relationship, she had to tell him.

"Lady, come on! I haven't got all day!" griped a surly looking wizard with a fresh eye patch, alerting her to the fact that she was indeed at the head of the floo line. Her hand shook as she reached in the communal bin for floo powder. Shakily, she made her way into the fireplace. It was time to face the terrible music. She feebly threw her powder into the air.

"Potter Cottage!" she said with the most gusto she could, hoping it would be enough to get her home. The suction around her body made her queasy stomach lurch. She fought with all of her might not to puke while in transit, as she had absolutely no idea where the vomit would end up. She suddenly was spit out face first onto the soft carpet of her home. Breathing a sigh of relief, she staggered to her footing, her stomach dangerously close to another attack.

"Baby, you look terrible!" she heard James gasp as the put down his copy of the Daily Prophet and quickly caught her dizzy body. She looked at him through her dizzy haze. His eyes were so worried as he stroked her face, "What did the healer say?"

And she subsequently vomited directly on his shoes.

"I'm sorry," she gasped as her fit ending, head between her knees. She slowly extracted her wand from her back pocket, "scorgify," she said meekly as a tiny amount of the vomit dissapeared.

"Don't waste your energy Lils, I've got it," he said thoughtfully as he muttered another scorgify at his shoes, disappearing any trace of the disgusting substance, "Come on, lets get you into bed." She felt strong arms scoop her up effortlessly. Opening her eyes, she caught his. He smiled at her as he kissed her forehead lightly. "We need to make you feel better, because sick or not, I am making you dinner tonight. There's no getting out of it. What did you find out at the healer's anyway? What's the prognosis?"

She stared at him for a moment, her tongue caught in her mouth. Sure that her beating heart would give her away, "I...er...I'm...um..." she stammered, "Muggle flu, just as I thought." What was she thinking!? Why hadn't she told him? This wasn't something she could hide, after a matter of time it was going to be obvious.

James reached the steps to the second floor, "I figured you were right, pure blood witches don't puke like that unless they're pregnant. I was sure it had to be a muggle thing."

"Err...yeah, yep," she grimaced as she buried her face in his shoulder. James finished the steps and nudged the door open to Lily's room. The two had lived together in the Potter Cottage, along with Remus and Sirius, since his parents had died. Though she rarely stayed in it, she always made sure she had her own room. He laid the girl down in the bed.

Pulling the covers back for her, he tucked her in tightly. She smiled up at him as he sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her forehead lightly, "Now, you take a nap, feel better, and when you wake up I will have the best sick person dinner you've ever had right here waiting for you," he smiled as he sat quietly for a moment, staring her deeply in the eyes. Her heartbeat quickened again. James could always read her, he always knew what was wrong. Her eyes had to be deceiving her. He must know!

He sighed deeply, a final smirk playing on his lips,"You are so beautiful," he said, shaking his head as Lily let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. He leaned down and kissed her lightly before sweeping to the door. She swallowed hard.

"James?" she said, bolting straight up in the bed. He turned, his hand on the door.

"Yeah?"

"I..." she stammered, his hazel eyes once again connecting with hers.."I'm...I love you," said, kicking herself for being such a coward.

"I love you too, Lils. Sleep well," and with that he shut the door.

But she did not sleep well that afternoon. She tossed and turned, trying to come up with ways of telling him that she was indeed _carrying his child. _The minutes passed like seconds, the moments on the clock ticked away faster and faster until the sun began to set outside the window. A quiet knock on the door brought her out of her reverie. "Yeah?"

The door scooted open. In swooped James, dressed in a full muggle suit, complete with tie, looking dashingly handsome. James had an odd obsession with muggle clothing. He was followed closely by a charmed tray filled to the brim with food. He gingerly placed it in front of her spot on the bed and hopped up onto the bed himself, directly across from her. He beamed at her, she smiled back.

"Well, you sure do look proud of yourself, why are you wearing that?" she joked as she looked down at the large array of food in front of her.

"I wanted to look amazing for my date tonight," he joked, running his fingers through his hair with a nervous twitch.

She laughed and looked down at the amazing tray of food in front of her, "What is all this?" she said as his beaming smile shot brighter, he had built her an entire meal out of feel better foods, making her only feel more terrible as she wasn't actually sick at all, "Chicken soup, applesauce, crackers, orange juice, toast, and," she gasped, "popsicles!?"

"Yeah," he said meekly, turning a bit red, "I had to go to a muggle grocery store to pick those up, I had one, they're really good!"

"How did you--?"

"You told me that it was the only thing you could keep down when you have the..er..fleur? Is that what you call it? Anyway, you told me that back in 6th year. I just kept it in the back of my head knowing the day would come when that information would be extremely important."

"You're amazing," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. He was wonderful. He was going to be a wonderful father-- her hands started to shake, "Er...where's your food?"

"Oh, right_, accio my tray_!" he called, "I set an Impedimenta jinx on it so it doesn't come up so fast. I don't want my soup to spill, " he smirked as the tray glided in from the door and landed serenly on the bed right in front of him. It was exactly the same as her own.

"You made yourself a sick day meal too?" she asked, raising her eyebrows slightly, he shrugged.

"I was going to make us a fabulous French dish for dinner that you would have loved, but this seemed to fit the bill a bit better.I like this bed picnic idea. But don't get me wrong, my love, this is still going to be the most romantic and important dinner you've ever had," and with the wave of his wand the light in the room deepened into serene and dark hues of blue, candles lighting across the room. Music swelled lightly from the wireless in the corner. She couldn't help but laugh, "alright now, tuck in!" he said happily as he dipped his spoon into his chicken soup.

The couple enjoyed their healthy dinner. James did most of the talking as he told Lily about the mission he and Remus had been on the night before and how Remus had fallen into a mud puddle when he thought he'd been chasing a short death eater but he had really been chasing an angry and drunken hag. She finished her meal and started in on he popsicle as James turned the subject to old Hogwarts stories. Her heart continued to beat dangerously fast and her palms were clammy, but not from any kind of sickness. As the minutes ticked by the prospect of telling him became more and more frightening. James, now on his second popsicle, was once again reminiscing about the fact that she had all but made a bet on the fact that she would never date him. She reminded him kindly that she had made a bet in fourth year on just that.

"What was the bet?" he asked, seemingly racking his brain as he quickly ran his fingers through his hair again.

"I think it was something like, 'Evans, I bet you your hand in marriage that you're going to fall in love with me'," she smirked as she waved it off, her mind still preoccupied with her secret. James took out his wand and banished their empty trays of food.

"You know...Evans, you never came through on that bet," she forced a light laugh. Much to her surprise, there was no smile on his face. His face was disarming.

"Ummm...I guess I've never had the chance now have I?" she asked, shrugging as she tightened the blanket up over her legs a bit more. Finally he smiled, an odd knowing smile. Her blood began to boil as he looked deeply at her.

"Would you?" he asked, his beautiful eyes wide, shining like diamonds.

She paused for a brief moment, slightly lost, "Erm...would I what?"

James dug into the pocket of his suitcoat, and brought out a small deep purple box, she gasped as her heart crashed on the floor. "Would you come though on that bet?" he asked quietly, crawling closer to her on the bed, "Would you marry me?"

She gasped, "James, I'm pregnant!" she blurted directly in his face. He paused.

"Er...what? Come again?" he shook his head in confusion, staring at her oddly.

She took a deep breath, tears began to well in her eyes. Much more quietly this time, she stated carefully, "I'm pregnant." She bit her lip as she watched his face for a sign of what to do next, but nothing came. James was frozen in shock, his hand still holding out the ring.

James swallowed deeply, "You're pregnant? As in, having a baby?" Lily was shaking now.

A first tear released itself down her face, she couldn't contain them anymore, "I'm so sorry."

"Sorry?" he asked as he scooted closer to her, setting the ring box on the nightstand and grabbing the corner of the bed sheet to wipe Lily's eyes.

"I'm just. I didn't mean for this to happen! You...you don't want to be a father! I'm just, Ugh! I wrecked everything! I wrecked your life! I wrecked your proposal! I--" her rage shot from her as she punched the mattress.

"Whoa! Who ever told you that I don't want to be a father!? Just calm down! We---" his voice faltered into silence. They sat in silence for a moment or two, each staring off with a cartwheel of thoughts running through their head. The pause felt like an eternity.

Lily evened out her breath. She suddenly felt James's fingers on her chin and followed their lead as James turned her to him, she gasped lightly as she saw a small smile playing on his lips. He leaned in closely to her, their lips a whisper apart, "So...you have our baby inside you?" he asked quietly. She looked into his eyes, they were so close to her it was hard to focus, but against herself a scared smile crept upon her. She nodded.

James closed the gap between their lips and kissed her longingly. She moaned as his rough lips touched hers, her tears falling freely now. His hand caressed her face gently as he pulled away and rested his forehead on hers, "Lily, please marry me."

All of the fear flew from her body and was replaced with a swooping sense of happiness, her faint smile grew wider, "Okay."

"Yes!" he yelped, pulling her into a bone cracking hug which she all but melted into. This was right, she could feel it. She didn't know why, it made no sense, but this was right. After a bit she pulled away just enough to see his face.

"Can we do this?" she asked him thoughtfully, he nodded as he kissed her forehead. He then turned around slowly and took the ring box in his hand. He opened it and slipped out a lovely antique ring, "It was my grandmother's," he said, slipping it onto her slim finger, "do you like it?"

"It's incredible," she gasped. She fingered the ring and looked up at James, "James, don't you think we should talk about this?"

"We will," he said as he settled into the bed beside her, pulling her to him, "but not tonight. Tonight I just want to focus on the fact that in nine months were going to be a nice little 3 person Potter family," his arm tightened around her. She grimaced, looking up at him.

"Excuse me? _Evans _Potter family."

"Whatever you say, love."


End file.
